We Dutch have our new King and Queen.

[huub vink]

After 33 years our (former) Queen decided it was time for here to retire. So from today we have our new King Willem-Alexander and our Queen Maxima.

And of course the Royal Netherlands Air Force was there.....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qItzCW49a8g

[Panther_99FS]

Congrats to ya' folks! :applause:

[Willy]

Congratulations! How long has it been since the Netherlands have had a King?

[Ferry_vO]

We've had kings (Willem I,II and III) from 1813 until 1890, Willy. After that we had three queens and now we have a king again. Not Willem IV but he choose to use his real name Willem-Alexander because he felt he wasn't a number. After him we'll have a queen again as our new king has three daughters.

[Willy]

I knew it had been a long time since you had one.

[CWOJackson]

Congratulations. Sounds like he's very laid back and down to earth.

[grunau_baby]

Hartelijk Gefeliciteert!!!:holand:

It still touches me a little inside, cause when the last crowning ceremony took place and Beatrix became the new Queen I still lived in the netherlands and felt quite dutch as a kid back then (more than german at that time, still being a generation who never felt really comfortable being german after WWII). Even had to control my urge now to stick some orange (oranje) flags to my car yesterday. Well I simply didn´t have none available.:icon_lol:

Prins "Pilsje" seems a nice enough guy and presently also very capable for his new tasks as a king. The best of luck to him and the netherlands!

Regards
Alex

[aeronca1]

Congratulations! I have a bit of a connection as I was born in the same room as your Princess Margriet here in Ottawa, although many years later.

[n4gix]

Congratulations to all my Dutch friends! What impresses me the most is that he didn't choose to wear some fancy uniform and drape himself with a bunch of make-believe medals and doo-dads, unlike most male monarchs... :icon_lol:

[Jagdflieger]

My congratulations and best wishes to the new King and Queen and the Dutch people!

Let me see if my European history/geography is correct. The following European countries have royalty:

The Netherlands
England
Norway
Sweden
Belgium
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Am I missing any?

[Willy]

Spain has went back to a monarchy since Franco died.

[Ferry_vO]

Let me see if my European history/geography is correct. The following European countries have royalty:

The Netherlands
England
Norway
Sweden
Belgium
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Am I missing any?

Spain, Monaco, Denmark and Liechtenstein.

:)

[Meshman]

Let me see if my European history/geography is correct. The following European countries have royalty:

England

Am I missing any?

Uh, hummmm! United Kingdom, if you will. :wavey:

[arfyhun]

Many congratulations Nederland.

Graham.

[srgalahad]

Hartelijk Gefeliciteert!!!:holand:
Even had to control my urge now to stick some orange (oranje) flags to my car yesterday. Well I simply didn´t have none available.:icon_lol:
The best of luck to him and the netherlands!

Regards
Alex

Heer Alex
http://www.best-buy-flags.co.uk/pics/holland-oranje-4365b.gif

"The colors of the Dutch flag are red, white and blue -- there's no orange at all. So what's the Netherlands' relationship (make that borderline obsession) with the color orange? The answer: Orange is the color of the Dutch Royal Family. The lineage of the current dynasty -- the House of Oranje-Nassau -- dates back to Willem van Oranje (William of Orange). But while the color orange has royal roots in the Netherlands, today it symbolizes a broader pride in the country and in being Dutch. Perhaps the biggest display of orange national pride occurs on Koninginnedag ("Queen's Day"), the April 30 holiday commemorating the birthday the country's (former) Queen.

The Dutch have been observing Queen's Day on April 30 since 1949, when the new Queen Juliana ascended the throne. Before then, the holiday fell on August 31, the birthday of Juliana's mother, former Queen Wilhelmina. When Queen Beatrix succeeded Juliana in 1980, she chose to keep Queen's Day on April 30, as Beatrix's own birthday is January 31, a date when Dutch weather isn't conducive to the many outdoor activities associated with the holiday."



Add my voice to the crowd...
Long live the King!